I was reading a thread on the IMDB board for The Last Detail, where people were talking about the scene in that movie where the sailors get into a brawl with a group of Marines. Someone suggested that if there were Army soldiers in the brawl, the Marines and sailors would have gotten together to fight the “ground pounders”. The idea being that the Marines and sailors might fight each other but would both fight against the Army guys.
First of all, is there any truth to this? If not now, then during the time that The Last Detail took place (the 1970s)?
Secondly, which services would band together in the following scenarios:
A barroom brawl erupts between Sailors and Marines. Coast Guard guys come into the bar. Which side do they take?
A barroom brawl erupts between Navy and Coast Guard guys. Marines come into the bar. Which side do they take?
A barroom brawl erupts between Air Force and Army guys. Marines come into the bar. Which side do they take?
I think this’ll end up in IMHO since I don’t believe there’s any real, concrete answer, so that’s how I’m going to treat it.
Sounds correct to me, especially if they shared a ship.
They’d take the side of the bar farthest away from the fighting.
They’d probably just sit back and laugh until the tantrum was over and the Squids and Coasties laid down for their naps.
Tough call. If the Air Force guys were pilots and flew ground support missions, the Jarheads would definitely want to protect their protectors. If the Air Force guys were regular REMFs, the fight wouldn’t last long enough for the Marines to do anything.
The Marines attack the Army. The Navy guys sit back to watch while staring coyly at each other and sneak off to the back alley for some “camaraderie.”
The Marines attack the Coasties. The Navy guys sit back to watch while staring coyly at each other and sneak off to the back alley for some “camaraderie.”
The Marines attack the Army. The Navy guys sit back to watch while staring coyly at each other and sneak off to the back alley for some “camaraderie.”
The Army and Air Force guys slap each other like little girls. The Marines drink all their beer and steal their women.
Marines would stand there, then get distracted by the funny feeling in their heads the rest of us call “thinking”. They wouldn’t do anything until the Army told them what to attack.